A/N: You're so kind with your reviews! *blushes* Thank you so much! For those that think this is the best MariChat au, I feel so honored, thank you! :D
Chapter 13
Mme. Bustier came in the room a second later, hushing her students and telling them to sit in their seats. She eyed them with a wide grin, prompting the teens to look at their respective benchmates with curiosity.
"Class, we have a special addition to our school," she announced. Marinette's eyes widened, because she uttered those same words when Adrien transferred to their school last year. Whoever this new student is must be famous by some degree.
"Please welcome, Lila Cagna!"
Everyone's mouths dropped (except Adrien's, he was used to being in the presence of famous people) as they saw the famous actress walk in the room. She brushed some of her brown hair away from her shoulder, olive green eyes surveyed the class. They lingered on Adrien before she stared straight ahead and waved.
"Hi, everyone! I'm so happy to be a part of your school!" She introduced, clapping her hands together in eagerness.
Marinette narrowed her eyes, there was something strange about her that she just couldn't put her finger on.
"I can't believe it, a real actress is going to our school!" Alya squealed, leaning in to the blackette's ear so the others wouldn't hear. "I'll be able to get so many interviews."
"Yeah, it's great," Marinette replied absently. Something told her not to trust this girl.
"We're glad to have you," Mme. Bustier answered, still smiling. "We actually have another famous person attending, do you happen to know Adrien Agreste?"
Said blond shook his head. "No, we don't know each other."
"But I've heard about you," Lila cut in. "Your dad makes amazing clothes!"
Adrien rose an eyebrow, but thanked her nonetheless.
"Since we don't have anything closer to the front, you're going to have to sit in the back, Lila. I hope this is okay?" Mme Bustier asked.
The Italian actress nodded. "It's perfectly okay!"
With an innocent smile she walked to her seat in the back, with most of the boys's eyes trailing after her.
...
"Hey, check this out!" Alya spoke, eyes glued to her phone. The four were on their lunch break at Marinette's bakery. Tom and Sabine were happy to provide tasty treats to their daughter and her nice friends.
"What?" Marinette inquired, taking a bite of her kouign amann.
"Apparently there's a new criminal in town," Alya answered, never taking her eyes off the phone. "She robbed a jewelry store last night and she goes by the name 'Volpina'."
Adrien swallowed his piece of tarte tatin before speaking. "Volpina?"
"Yeah, she's kind of like Chat Noir in a way. She leaves notes at her crimes and leaves a fox drawing on them." Alya showed everyone the picture of one of those notes. "She's from Italy originally, so Paris police are wondering why she's suddenly here."
"That's what I'd like to know too," Adrien muttered, looking away to gaze out the window in thought.
"Hey, maybe Volpina and Chat Noir will fight for the top spot," Nino joked, snickering.
"That'd be the fight of the century!" Alya slammed her fist on the table. "I'd totally be there to get it on video!"
Meanwhile Adrien didn't look away from the window, his eyes continued to stay locked on some spot that Marinette didn't know.
"Adrien?" She asked softly. "You okay?"
The model turned to her and gave her a half-grin. "I'm fine. Just thinking about my schedule."
"Oh, okay." Marinette looked back down at her pastry. She ate in silence while Adrien still seemed deep in thought and oblivious to Nino and Alya's chatter.
...
That night, Marinette hauled herself out to her balcony, spray bottle in hand. She figured it'd be nice to give her plants a late-night drink. She watered her first three plants to her left before moving to her prized roses. Well, she thought they deserved a prize. They really were beautiful, in her opinion.
"Evening, Princess."
Marinette stiffened in surprise, before slowly turning to face the sneaky alley cat. She wondered if she would ever not jump due to his sudden voice.
"Good evening, Chat Noir."
"So, how'd it go with your friend last night?" He asked, a frown tugging the corners of his mouth down.
"It went pretty well, actually." Marinette grinned. "She kinda likes you."
"You and only you own my heart, fair Princess." He pointed at her and winked.
Marinette giggled, hoping the darkness hid her blush. "I didn't mean like that, but good to know. I told her how you saved me, she really appreciates it."
"It was my pleasure." He bowed and eyed her with a smirk before rising again. "This cat is furever your protector, Princess."
"Speaking of protecting," Marinette trailed off. She put the spray bottle on her spool table and walked closer to him. She smiled gratefully up at him.
"I heard you saved one of my friends last night. Thank you for that." She reached up on her tip toes and gave him a shy peck on the lips.
Chat Noir smirked at her blushing form. "A kiss for every act of heroism? That might be enough to purrsuade me to do it more often."
She idly wondered if he was serious. Would he turn his life around if she offered a kiss every time he did something good?
"Then that means you'll have to have a punishment if you do something bad," she theorized.
His eyes became half-lidded, his lips curled into a suggestive smirk. "And what happens if I'm a bad kitty?"
Marinette hid her left arm behind her. She used her right to trail an index finger seductively down his chest. She peeked up at him from behind her lashes, his head bent down closer to hers.
She chose that moment to whip out the spray bottle and spray him in the face.
"What the hell?!" He spluttered, wiping furiously at his eyes.
Marinette burst out laughing, though she was mindful to not be loud enough to alert her parents. "That-" She had to stop to breathe. "That's what happens if you do something bad!"
He wiped the last of the droplets from his face, his eyes narrowed at her. "You little tease."
Marinette covered her mouth to stifle more giggles threatening to escape. Her demeanor quickly changed as Chat Noir sprung into action. She squeaked as he picked her up and dove into the lounge chair, though he made sure the impact wasn't too hard. He straddled her and wiggled his claws into her sides.
The effect was immediate. Marinette gasped and laughed, her body writhing uncontrollably. "Chat-Chat stop!"
Human fingers tickling her was bad, but his claws made it ten times worse.
The feline thief simply smirked at her agony. Marinette tried maneuvering her body out of his hold but his legs kept her pinned to the chair.
"Chat please!" She panted out, tears coming out of her eyes.
"Please what?" He questioned, still smirking.
"Please stop!" She breathed out in reply. A few more chortles escaped her before she tried biting her lip to keep them at bay.
"You want me to stop?"
"Yes!"
"Will you ever tease me like that again?"
"No!"
"Purromise?"
"I-I-I promise!"
Chat pressed a kiss to her cheek, he stopped his tickling assault much to Marinette's relief. He flipped them over so he was lying down on the chair with her over him. Her head lolled to the side, towards his neck.
She took a moment to regain her regular heart beat and took deep breaths. Chat Noir leaned his head against her own, choosing not to say anything.
They lay there for a few minutes in comfortable silence. The moon shined above them, stars glittered the sky, and the Eiffel Tower shone like a beacon of light. Marinette gently took Chat's hand, her fingers ghosting over the warm leather of the glove. She eyed his ring. It matched the rest of his suit, except in the center there were five emeralds cut in the shape of a paw print. There was a protective glass-like layer over it so the precious stones wouldn't get damaged.
"May I?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Her fingers were on the ring, ready to pull it off when he gave the word.
"Hm?" He mumbled distractedly. It was at that moment she noticed his head had been buried in her hair. "Oh," she heard him say. "Yeah, you can try it on." The ghost of a chuckle left his lips before he exhaled in bliss and his nose went in her hair once more.
Marinette smiled and slowly pulled the ring off. She put it on her own ring finger of her right hand but almost laughed at how loosely it fit her. She had to clench a fist in order for it to stay on. She'd need to put it on a chain in order to wear it-
No. This was his ring, not hers.
The blackette picked up his now ring-less hand. She found herself wondering what his hands looked like without the leather hiding them. Would his hand be rough and calloused, or would it be smooth and soft?
Biting her lip, she picked up the glove by the middle finger and slowly began peeling it off. She paused, allowing him to object to the action, but he paid her no mind. With that silent approval, she resumed her task.
With the glove now removed, she was a bit surprised to see long, tan, lithe fingers. She was honestly expecting to see callouses, to feel rough skin from years of performing crimes. But somehow, smooth hands fit him just perfectly.
His fingers curled around her own, until their hands were entwined. He dropped them to the side of their bodies, not once speaking to break the silence.
After another minute or two of peaceful silence, Marinette spoke.
"I heard there's another criminal around here. Volpina, I think her name is."
He hummed, removing his face from her hair. "Yeah, it is."
"Have you met her?"
"No. I've heard of her, she was pretty good back in Italy. I'm still trying to figure out why she's here, though."
"Is there some new, priceless object here or something?" Marinette guessed, trying to help him.
"Nope. It's a mystery why she's here, and I don't like mysteries."
She found herself giggling. Of course he didn't like mysteries, cats are very curious creatures.
She shrugged. "Maybe she just wants to claim Paris for her own, maybe she got tired of Italy."
"Paris is mine," he hissed. "It took three years to gain the top spot and I'm not letting it slip out of my claws."
"You could always catch her," she suggested, holding their still joined hands up. "Imagine all the kisses you'd get if you caught a criminal like her," she teased.
"Hm," he murmured, pressing his lips to her temple in a warm kiss. "Tempting."
They sat in silence once more, enjoying the peaceful Parisian night. Marinette snuggled into Chat's body, she thought him to be a very soft and warm pillow.
"So what do you do when you're not committing crime?" She inquired. Did he just pace up and down in his evil lair and rub his hands together while chuckling evilly and plot his next evil plan?
"A little of this and a little of that," he replied vaguely.
She furrowed her eyebrows. "What does that mean?"
Chat Noir snickered. "Looks like cats aren't the only curious creatures."
"Come on," she pouted, even though he still couldn't see her. "Tell me!"
"Say 'purretty purrlease' and I might just let a detail slip." She heard him release a chuckle of amusement.
She sighed. "Pretty please?"
"Nope. You have to say it like I did."
Marinette huffed, annoyed. "Fine. Purretty purrlease?"
"Purrfect! Hm, now what secret could possibly satisfy an inquisitive princess like you?" He raised his free hand to tap a finger against his chin in thought. "Decisions, decisions..."
"Chat," she whined, getting impatient.
"Alright!" He laughed. "Well, I go to this club sometimes."
That got her interest piqued. "A club? But wouldn't people scream and call the police if they saw you?"
"This isn't an ordinary club. Only Paris's elite criminals are allowed in."
"Soo," she paused, thinking. "It's like a secret underground club?"
"Correct."
"Can I come?"
"Hell no," he immediately refused. "That isn't a place you should be in."
"But I want to see!" She protested. She's never been in any club, let alone a secret underground one. The curiosity was practically eating her alive.
"I said no, Princess. Didn't you hear what I said about 'Paris's elite criminals'? There's no way I'd let you in a place like that."
"What if you accompanied me?" Marinette asked, trying a different tactic. "If I'm with you they won't touch me."
Chat Noir audibly groaned. Marinette took this as a sign that she was wearing him down.
"Please, Chaton?" She begged, turning to face him. She puffed out her bottom lip and looked up at him through her thick eyelashes. He grimaced, clearly torn. "You said you're my protector forever, I know I'd be safe with you. And if there's any danger we can leave, no questions asked."
He closed his eyes and groaned again.
"Please, Minou," she tried again, taking their entwined hands and kissing his knuckles.
"I hate you," he ground out through clenched teeth.
Marinette waited with baited breath.
"Fine!" He hissed, fixing her with his frustrated eyes.
"Yay!" She squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. "Thank you!" A thrill ran through her veins. She was going to see a secret underground club meant purely for Paris's top lawbreakers, she knew it was going to be way better than any party Chloe or Sabrina could throw.
When she released him he began to talk.
"Saturday, ten at night. Wear a disguise so no one will target you." He closed his eyes in misery and covered his face with a gloved hand. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this."
"We'll be fine," she assured, brushing off his concern. "What's the worst that could happen?"
Chat Noir groaned again and leaned his head back against the chair.
A/N: 'Cagna' means 'bitch' in Italian. I'm not even sorry.